Hold on - version 2
by jibber59
Summary: Ezra finds himself in an explosive situation - and if that sounds familiar, it should. A few people indicated (politely) that they would have liked a more intense ending. So much for not putting them in life threatening situations every time. So - welcome to version 2. Chap 1 is the same, but have put in here for new readers.
1. Chapter 1

"Well, to quote any number of people from my past, here's another fine mess Standish."

Ezra remained perfectly still in his seat. Not that he had a lot of choice. The ropes holding him in place were tight, but if he had truly been inclined, he probably could have worked himself free. It wouldn't have been his first escape from similar circumstances, but until he knew a little more about the present situation, he was didn't want to risk it being the last.

The best he could figure, he'd been here for 30 minutes. Or rather, he'd been here conscious for that long. No idea how much time had passed before that. He had spent most of the time he'd been awake replaying the last evening's events in his head. At least, he assumed it was last evening. Could still have been this evening, or a week ago for all he knew. Whatever – whenever - It didn't take long. There had been nothing out of the ordinary at all until he got into his car to drive home from the restaurant. He'd had no sense he was being watched. Not the slightest inkling that anything was amiss until the cloth was pressed over his face. It took only seconds for him to pass out.

He awoke, tied to a wooden, and incredibly uncomfortable, chair. The room was dimly lit, so he wasn't able to ascertain too much about his surroundings. The moment he moved his hand he heard a click, followed a few seconds later by a voice.

"Welcome back Mr. Standish. You will have 10 seconds from the beep to fully focus your attention, at which time you will feel a tug on your hands. I would strongly advise against moving after that, as the pin will have been removed from the grenade. Trying to move will just remove the pin faster." Beep

The fog lifted immediately, but there really were no choices to be made. Even if he could move away, it wouldn't be far enough or fast enough if they really were explosives. He felt the tug and froze in place. A few seconds later, the voice continued.

"Excellent. I see you are much better at following orders in your file would suggest. I am sure you are dying, so to speak, from curiosity, so let me provide you with a few answers. You are presently in the basement of your very own ATF offices. Don't feel bad if it doesn't seem familiar to you. I doubt a man of your skills and background has had any reason to be in the utility section of the building.

Who I am is really of no consequence to you. Neither are my motivations. All that you need to know at this point is that Mr. Larrabee and Judge Travis have both been notified of your current predicament." _Damn_.

"Which is as follows. You are tied to a chair which has been wired to explode should you try to move. The door to the room has likewise been prepared to discourage intruders. I can remotely neutralize the charges once my demands have been met. I can also remotely detonate them. There is sufficient explosive material placed around the area to, through a chain reaction effect, take down the entire building. And then, just to keep your attention riveted, there is the grenade."

Ezra didn't think it was possible to become anymore locked in place than he had been, but that sentence managed to do it. Foolish escape efforts resulting in his own death, while far from the desired outcome, were one thing. No way in hell was he going to be responsible for any other loss of life.

"Best of luck Mr. Standish. You will need it." The voice disappeared, and Ezra sat in quiet contemplation of just how the hell he was going to figure this one out.

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

Chris stared at Judge Travis in total disbelief. "Well, I know you can't just hand the guns over, but we have to do something."

Travis sighed. "I'm open to suggestions. I've already contacted the director, and I'm looking at options to go over his head, but all that's going to do is get me fired for insubordination. You might want to rein in that anger before the same thing happens to you."

"Fired hell! I'll walk out of here if we can't figure this out."

"Larabee – Chris." Travis softened his tone. "You know the policy. We don't negotiate with terrorists, and that's what these guys are. They may label themselves as patriotic survivalists, but they are nothing more than bat-shit crazy domestic terrorists."

"And we're just gonna sit back and let them kill Ezra?"

"No, not if we can prevent it. So how do we do that?"

Chris stared again, seething at the reality of the situation and the fact he had no answer. Stalling, he reached for his phone.

"I wouldn't do that Chris." Nathan spoke quietly but urgently from the back of the room. Chris glared his question.

"This guy said he can remotely detonate the bomb. A cell signal could be the trigger."

"Everybody in the damn building has a cell phone." Chris was pissed to hear a hint of panic in his voice.

"JD's setting up a jammer. Probably already up, and that may block the signal from getting to Ezra as well."

"But it will set anything off?"

"No Chris," JD entered the room. "It's in place and it won't cause a problem. Of course, this jackass may think were trying something, but I'm guessing he figured we'd take this step. If it was going to blow, it would have already." He cringed, realizing that wasn't as comforting as he'd intended it to be. He looked to Buck for a bit of support and got it.

"Vin and Josiah should be down in the basement by now. They'll talk to Ezra and one of them will come back up. We're going to figure this out Chris."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because we have to."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

Ezra could hear the footsteps and his name being called. A sense of dread flooded him.

"No! Josiah no. Stay back. Go away!"

"Easy son. Steady. We know what's going on."

"Don't touch anything. The door's wired."

"We know Ezra. Calm down. You have to stay still, understand?"

Vin was here too? What in God's name were they thinking. "Please, you have to leave. This could all go wrong at any moment. Please." Ezra couldn't hide his anxiety.

"Ezra. Stop. Breathe slowly. We came down to let you know we're gonna fix this is all. You just have to do your part and stay calm." Vin's tone remained level, but he was glad Ezra couldn't see their faces. He was sure his looked every bit as terrified as did Josiah's.

"I will be much calmer when I know everyone is out of harms way."

"We're working on that. The building is being evacuated as we speak. The whole block is. Gas lines have been shut off too. We've got everything taken care of Ezra."

"Not everything. Why are you still here? You need to leave."

"Not without you son."

Ezra forced himself to calm down, or at the very least sound as if he had. They wouldn't leave if he thought he wasn't fully in control. He could handle that. He could bluff anyone. "Gentlemen, I assure you –" _deep calming breath Ezra_ – "I have my end of this situation well in hand." He could feel the onset of a mildly hysterical laugh at the bad pun and struggled to smother it. "There is no need for you to be here. Please, I will be able to focus much better on what I need to do if I do not have to concern myself with your well-being."

"We'll be just fine Ezra." Vin responded. "And so will you. So, it doesn't much matter where we are, does it?"

"If it doesn't matter, then I would before prefer it be elsewhere." He could hear the anxiety slipping back in his voice.

Vin and Josiah could hear it too and looked to each other for guidance each shrugging in response. "He's right about this adding to his stress." Josiah admitted quietly. "And we might be more useful upstairs."

"Hate like hell to leave him alone."

"Okay Ezra," Josiah raised his voice again. "I'm going to go up.

"Both of you."

"Ezra, calm down. We'll leave for now, but we'll going to be back real soon to get you out of there. You understand me?"

Ezra sighed with relief. He could feel a small amount of the tension leave, until it occurred to him what his teammates were likely doing. "Not just away from here. Out of the building Josiah. Vin? Listen to me, there is enough explosive here to take down this entire structure. Quite possibly the block."

"Ezra, can you see the explosives? It might help to know what we're dealing with."

"The lighting in here leaves much to be desired. There are several boxes against the walls, none of which appear to be labelled. The door appears to be sealed with what I can only assume is plastique."

"Okay Ezra, that's good." Vin winced as he heard what he'd said. "Not the explosives part, the knowing about them. We're going to do what you ask, but like Josiah said, we're coming back for you."

"I shall endeavor to be waiting for you to return, when it is safe." He could hear their footsteps retreating and was left feeling terribly alone, and far more frightened than he would ever admit.

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

"How's he doing?" The look on Vin's face was making Chris even more nervous about his undercover agent, and their silence didn't help. "Vin? How is he?"

Josiah answered instead. "Terrified – and trying hard not to show it. I don't think he figures on making it out of this one Chris."

"Shit! I should go talk to him." It was a question as much as a statement.

"Not unless you have news for him. He doesn't want us down there and getting him even more agitated isn't the best idea right now."

Vin finally spoke, but it wasn't to Chris. "JD, why did it work when you blocked the cell signal?"

The young agent was confused. "You really want the technical crap now?"

"No. What I mean is, why didn't that set off the explosion? And why didn't this bastard have a backup in case we did just that?"

"Because he's an idiot?" JD offered.

"No, that's the last thing he is. He grabbed Ezra, smuggled him in here past security, got explosives in here. The guy is not an idiot."

"What are you thinking Vin?" Chris was getting an idea where this was going.

"He knows the building."

"Most any visitor would be able to get an idea of the layout." Buck countered.

"Yeah, an idea. But not the basement. Hell, we didn't know our way around down there without the blueprint. And what about security?"

JD nodded, following Vin's logic. "No sign of a breach, or even an attempted one."

Chris was definitely seeing where this was going and was hating the idea. "Someone on the inside. You think it agent did this to Ezra?"

"An agent? Or maybe one of the civilian staff, although that seems less likely."

"So, was he part of this survivalist crew, or just piggybacking on their reputation for being crazy?" Buck wondered.

"Don't know, and don't know that it matters. JD, run any kind of security scan you can think of. Who access the basement level in the past month? Who's asked for additional security clearance? Nathan, review whatever footage we have from whatever cameras are in the area."

"Already looked at all that."

"Yeah, for intruders. Now were looking for one of us." He spoke urgently but quietly. "And for God's sake, keep that under your hat. We can't risk tipping him off."

Vin grabbed at JD's arm when the young man turned to leave. "You didn't answer the first part. Why didn't your jamming voodoo set things off?"

JD stopped, uncertain of the answer. Then the light went on for him. "He doesn't want to blow anything up! The son of a bitch is probably still in here!"

"And he wants everybody else out." Buck added. "But why?"

"Access to something he can't get otherwise. Think about it. Not only is the building being evacuated, but that means most of the security protocols are down. Doors are all unlocked to make sure nobody gets trapped."

"JD – are the cameras operating?" On getting a nod, Chris continued. "Run them. Run everything we've got and that see who else is still in here."

Josiah looked over to Vin. "Did Ezra say the door was sealed with plastique?" Vin nodded, cringing slightly at the image that came to mind. "Then how did he get out?" Everyone turned to look at him. "You can't seal a door from the inside, then leave. Makes no sense."

"Well, maybe he put it around, then pulled it closed?" Nathan speculated.

"It is pretty dark in there from what Ezra said. Maybe it just looks sealed." Vin added.

"The phone message said he was sealed in there. Pretty specific phrase."

"What are you getting at Josiah? How does any of that help Ezra?"

"Simple Buck – if he didn't leave by that door…"

"He left by another." Buck finished. "Damn, of course. Where are the blueprints?" Vin reached over to a neighbouring desk and grabbed for them.

"Okay, Ezra's here, right?" He asked, pointing to the small room. "So, what's around him?"

"Utility rooms for the water, electrical, things like that."

"And this?" Nathan pointed to a narrow space that ran behind the room Ezra was in.

"Beats me. Looks like –" Josiah smiled – "looks a lot like an emergency access point. Backup way to get in all the utilities."

"Any way to find out if the door's rigged?" He asked JD, who was already on the move.

"Remote cameras. Should be able to slide one under the door. If anything is blocking the door then it won't go through. But if it does, we can have a button camera on the end and see what's going on."

Ten minutes later the team was following up on every hint of an idea as to who might be behind all of this insanity. Chris and JD had made their way to the basement, and following Vin's advice, were making enough noise to let Ezra know well in advance they were coming.

"Dear God Vin. I told you not to come back."

"Not Vin, Ezra."

Oh God. This was, if possible, even worse.

"Before you get yourself in a state Ezra, hear me out."

"I am not in a state Chris, I am in Hell."

"And we're going to get you out." JD tried to sound optimistic.

"You brought JD with you? Why? Why would you do such a thing?"

Chris was less than thrilled with what he was hearing. Even under the most adverse situations he could remember, Ezra was able to keep his cool. Now, he was bordering on a panic attack, and if they couldn't get him settled things could get ugly fast.

He didn't like sounding angry, but it might be what was needed to keep Ezra focused. "Listen to me Standish. We've got this figured out so shut up and pay attention." His glare silenced JD's planned comment. "We just need to confirm a couple of details, and then you'll be home free."

Ezra took a calming breath. "You lie terribly. You might want to abandon any thoughts you have concerning taking over my position as undercover operative."

So much for conning him. "Nobody's taking over your job Ezra. And we do have this figured out. We think." Chris added reluctantly. "Are you facing this door?"

"Yes." he answered, curiosity piqued despite his better judgment.

"Damn. So, you have no idea what's behind you?"

There were a few seconds of silence and a muffled curse. "No. I tried to turn but it pulls on the ropes too much. I cannot hold my grip on whatever it is I am holding onto when that happens."

"Then for God's sake, sit still. Do you know what you're holding?"

Again, there was a brief silence. "I believe it is an armed grenade."

"Shit." JD mumbled.

"Ezra, you've been holding that this whole time?"

"Well, I didn't just pick it up a minute ago out of idle curiosity."

"Right. Sorry. Stupid question."

If he'd been holding that for at least the three hours since they knew this had started, his hands and arms would be killing him. Especially given that his arms were tied behind him. Chris had no idea how much longer Ezra could keep that up.

"I can hold onto it for as long as I have to. No one else is going to die because my hand gets tired."

Damn his mind reading skills. "Betting it's more than tired. If we've got this figured out right, it won't be much longer Ezra."

"Is the building clear? Has everyone been evacuated?"

"Almost everyone." JD answered as he worked at his setup.

"What's the delay?"

"Well, you are."

Ezra groaned. "No, you must leave. If I am the only one remaining, then it doesn't matter."

Chris growled. He couldn't help himself. "What the fuck you mean it doesn't matter. Everyone is getting out of this building Standish. That includes you!"

"Please Chris. Order them out. Carry them out. You have to get the others to safety."

"We're all getting –"

"Please!" Ezra was pleading in a way he never had done before. "I have enough reasons to burn in Hell, don't make me have six more deaths on my conscience. Don't let me die knowing I killed you all."

Chris's heart ached at the anguished plea, and JD was having trouble focusing on his work through his blurred vision.

"Listen Ezra. Listen to me. We are certain there are no other explosives in that room." Okay almost certain, but that news wouldn't help Ezra now. "You understand me? The building will not blow up."

"Just this space then?" Ezra said quietly. Far too quietly.

"Shit Chris, I don't think you should've told him that."

"Ezra. Damn you. Don't even think about letting go, you hear me? JD and I are right outside this door."

"You will be shielded. The grenade won't have that much force."

 _It'll have enough to kill you_ , Chris thought in a panic. "Yeah, not if we're inside." He reached for the knob, pushing JD away from the door and praying they'd reached the right conclusion.

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 ** _tbc_**


	2. Chapter 2

"Dear God Chris. Just once could you not have done what I asked?" He was close to sobbing now, with no idea how much longer he was going to be able to hold himself together. He was sure the time could be counted in seconds at this point.

Chris was frozen in place. The sense of relief that ran through him as he realized they were all still in one piece was tempered by the spectacle in front of him. It wasn't just the strain that was evident on Ezra's face, not to mention in the tension of his entire body. Streaks of sweat ran down his face leaving tracks in the dust that had settled on him. He'd never seen Ezra looking so vulnerable and was completely at a loss how to comfort him now.

Chris didn't dare take another step. "Ezra, stay perfectly still.

"That was my intention."

"JD get over to the door and tell me if these mean anything."

Ezra had beams of laser lights passing in front of him, some crossed the floor near him and others were aimed at his head and chest. Just to make things more confusing, several small wires were interwoven around him looking like a metallic spider's web.

"Hey Ez. You need to stay as still as you can. Okay?" JD spoke in a voice far calmer than he would've expected. "How come you never mentioned all of this to Vin?" He was trying to follow the source of each light, but the patterns were confusing.

"The wires were invisible in the poor lighting, and these – I assume lasers – are a new addition to the game." Chris could hear the defeat and knew even as Ezra began to open his mouth what he would say next.

"Save it! We are not leaving. Well I'm not. JD is, so that he can figure out what the hell all this is."

"Don't need to go anywhere Chris." JD lowered his voice as he spoke. "What we have here is a genuine shitstorm of trouble."

"Talk to me."

"There's too many of these for them all to be real, but I'm betting some of them are."

"How do we tell the difference?"

JD stared at them for a moment. Ezra couldn't take the silence.

"This is the embodiment of idiocy. You gentlemen have to leave. Now."

"Shut up Ezra." Chris said softly. "And that's an order."

"It might be amusing to find out what form of reprimand you might propose that could possibly be more of a deterrent that the current predicament."

"Trust me, I'll come up with something. JD, what do you think?"

"Any laser that is being crossed by another would be triggered. So, we just have to figure out which ones are a straight line."

Chris could see the logic in that. "Then what do we do?"

"Avoid them." JD looked up at the low growl he got in response. "Hell Chris, I've been looking at this for all of two minutes. Give me a chance to figure on it a bit."

"Not all that sure of how much time we have." His voice was almost a whisper, but that didn't stop Ezra.

"I can hold on to this for as long as is needed. However I will concede, it would be beneficial if you don't need a great deal more time."

JD tried to keep his voice light. "Well, I think the first thing we might want to do is take a step or two backwards. Real slow. No point in getting to close to any of these."

Ezra's laugh had no humour. "I have been asking you to leave since this started. It is wonderful to finally hear someone agree with me."

"Nobody's leaving. We're just regrouping."

The two men turned as they cleared the doorway.

"There's no way to avoid all of that far as I can see Chris. Unless we can get this bastard to shut all this down, he's trapped in there."

"Figure something out then. He's been in there for hours, and the is no way he can keep holding much longer. Look at him. He's ready to collapse. Or fall apart. Toss up which comes first."

Ezra cleared his throat. "Have I mentioned how superlative the acoustics are in this room? Can hear every word that is being said."

Damn. "Sorry Ezra, but you got to know..."

"That you aren't lying. Yes, that is apparent. It is also why I am, again, begging you to leave."

"Give it up. Were getting you out of this."

"It's not worth the risk. I'm not with the risk."

Chris was losing what little patience he had. "Would you leave if this situation was reversed?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Liar."

Ezra had neither the physical or emotional strength left to challenge the claim.

JD had been looking the room over. "There is a bit of good news. We were right about this rigging being weird. This explosive around the door? Looks more like some kind of putty, and it sure isn't gonna blow up on us."

"So odds are the boxes are just props too?"

"Can't say without seeing inside them Chris. Could be a bluff but there could be enough in them to take out the block. And before you ask, the only way I can think of to know the difference, besides opening them, would be some kind of x-ray. Which could set them off."

"What about a detector?"

JD inhaled deeply. "There's a lot of cleaning stuff in here, and then there's the grenade. Not sure we could trust the reading."

"OK, but common sense says they are fake - right? When could anyone have brought this much stuff in? For that matter, why would they?"

"Because he's just your basic lunatic?"

"No, I think Vin was right earlier. This guy wants something here and isn't about to risk blowing it, or himself, up."

"Doesn't mean there isn't enough to do what he threatened in the first place." JD dropped his voice to a whisper.

One piece of good news. One hint of a plan. That was all Chris wanted at this point, and it didn't look like he was going to get it. He hated himself for what he was about to say and do.

"OK JD. Get outta here. Take the others, and get outta here."

"You mean the basement?"

"I mean the building."

"You just said you don't think it's gonna blow."

"Thinking isn't knowing, JD. Evacuate everybody."

"Thank God." The sense of relief almost made Ezra forget to keep a tight grip on the grenade. Fortunately, his hands were so cramped at this point there was no chance of dropping it.

Chris looked at his agent, dying a little bit inside. "Go tell the bomb techs everything you told me. I'm assuming you were taking video when you had your phone out." JD nodded mutely. "Show them everything. Maybe they've seen something like this before."

"The guys aren't gonna leave Chris."

"Order them. Tell them they're all fired if they don't go."

"Won't believe you, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter."

Chris knew the kid was right.

"Tell them it is my wish. My last wish." Ezra answered for him. "They have to honour that."

JD was adamant. "Not saying that to them, cause it's not true. We are getting you out of here. You promised me a rematch after you trounced me in last week's poker game, and I ain't letting you back out of that."

"Some promises are simply impossible to keep."

"Go JD." Chris spun him toward the exit and shoved him forward. "Stop wasting time and find a way to fix this."

"You too. You should be leaving too."

"Sorry Ezra. I know you. Long as one of us is around, you're gonna hang onto that thing with all you got. I'm not about to give you a choice in the matter."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

JD ran through the door to the lobby, and headed toward the bomb techs. He was intercepted on the way.

"My name's Barrington. Bomb squad." A tall reed-like man approached him. "Who are you, and why the hell are you still in here?"

JD ignored the questions, holding the phone up and starting to scroll the photos. He held the first one out.

"He's trapped behind all this crap. The door wasn't wired, but it looks like the room might be. Laser triggers, but I think most of them are fake. We couldn't get close enough to see what the wires are about, or to check the boxes. If I had to guess, I'd say that's what the lasers were really for – keeping us out. But since Ezra's life is on the line, I ain't guessing anything."

"You couldn't see a triggering device?"

"Nope. Not the grenade either, but Ezra's sure convinced that's what he's holding on to."

"How's he doing?" Barrington asked, his tone softening slightly.

"Tired. More scared than he'll admit. Don't know how much longer he had keep it together, and that's something I never would have expected to say about him."

"We've evacuated the rest of the team. Damn near had to arrest them to do it. Need you out too. Anybody still with him?"

JD nodded. "Chris Larabee. You won't get him out. Even if you arrest him. He might be the only thing keeping Ezra from giving up, so don't waste your time.

Barrington sighed heavily. "Yeah, I've heard about you guys. This is not going to go well – is it?"

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

"Larabee!" Barrington called out well in advance, not wanting to risk surprising anyone.

"Don't even ask. I ain't leaving."

Ezra looked up, groaning as another man arrived on the scene. Chris wasn't sure if it was from the pain of moving, or the emotion of having to dealing with another person at this juncture. What he did know is that Ezra was rapidly reaching his breaking point.

"Wasn't expecting you'd be going anywhere from what I know about you. Standish, I hear you are doing one hell of a job here. How 'bout we find a way to wrap this up?"

"There is only one way this can end, which is why you gentlemen have to leave. Now." He was getting tired of repeating himself.

"Nope – they don't pay me to walk away from these things. Besides, I got a reputation to maintain. Imagine you two might understand that." He was watching closing for any sign that Ezra needed immediate help. The strain and fatigue were obvious, but despite his words, there was still a spark of determination he could read on the man's exhausted face.

He turned to face Chris. "You been able to figure out anything more with the lasers. Your man Dunne filled me in on all of this."

"Has he left?" Ezra asked quietly. "Have they all left?"

Barrington answered before Chris could warn him off. "Not by their own choice. Damn near had to put them in cuffs. But the building has been emptied."

"Not completely. That will be done when you two men leave, which I would recommend be done sooner rather than later."

"Telling you for the last time Ezra, I am not walking out of here without you, so just shut up."

Barrington smiled. "Yeah – what he said. Now, about the lasers?"

The two men discussed quickly what options were open to them as Ezra struggled to stay as still as he could. It wasn't easy. The fatigue was making it harder to fight the shakes that were becoming more frequent as his muscles cramped and ached. He'd lost count of the number of times he had mentally stretched his fingers, fighting the impulse to let the thought become action. He had no idea of how long he'd been in the chair. Everything ached. His head was pounding, a fact he hadn't bother to share, knowing there wasn't a damn thing to do about it, and a couple of aspirin weren't going to be much help.

The most startling revelation is that he was hungry. At least, physically he was. The idea of actually eating was almost enough to make him gag, but his body was craving protein in the worst way. Just what he need, another reason for muscle cramps.

"…sound ok to you? Ezra – you listening to me?"

"Sorry Chris, I think my attention wandered. I seem to be having some difficulty maintaining my focus on anything beyond holding on."

"Can't imagine why that would be."

Ezra forced himself to look up and was surprised to see the path in front of him was cleared of beams. Either that, or he was hallucinating, which would not have come as a surprise.

"We used mirrors Ezra." Chris read the confusion. "Barrington figured out what was real here, so we're gonna make our way over to you."

"How long did that take?" He was disturbed by is inattentiveness. Focus was critical if he was going to keep these two lunatics alive.

"About 15 minutes. I'm coming in Ezra." Chris took a few steps forward, praying silently there were no other traps or surprises waiting. The concrete floor meant it was unlikely there could be any triggers to step on, but that didn't remove motion sensors or a myriad of other nightmares as possibilities. It took only a few steps to get to Ezra's side, and he squatted down next to him.

"Don't touch him." Barrington spoke softly behind him. "Don't startle him."

"At this point, Agent Barrington, I doubt I could move my hands to release this menace if my life depended on it." He barked out a weak laugh. "Which of course, it does."

Chris could hear the hysteria creeping into Ezra's voice _. Not now Ezra, don't do this to us now._ "Steady Ezra. You've kept it together this long. Just a few more minutes."

"I have no concept at this juncture as to precisely what a minute is Chris. I cannot achieve the simple task of inspiring my brain to function in such a manner as to comprehend the notion."

"Sounds to me like your brain is working just fine. Now, I'm gonna take a look at some of these wires." He saw Ezra stiffen slightly. "Relax. I'm not going to touch you, or them. Just looking is all."

He studied each silver strand that was wrapped around the chair and the man hunched in it. As far as he could determine, they all led back to the grenade. He took a moment to study that as well. He was no expert but is certainly looked intimidating enough to be the real deal.

"OK Ezra. That was good. I'm gonna step out so Captain Barrington can come in here to see about getting you out of this mess."

"Captain?"

"Yeah. Denver PD bomb squad. Sorry – not ATF."

"I called you Agent. My apologies."

"Been called worse." He was making his way into the room.

"Shouldn't you be outfitted in one of those cumbersome looking suits that would serve to try to shield you when this blows up."

"Well, in the first place, wearing one of those isn't part of my job right now. I'm the brains on the team. Got other experts who actually handle the dismantling end of things. And in the second place, and this is far more important for you to keep in mind, nothing is blowing up. That would mess with my track record, and I don't intend to let you do that." He'd been looking over the situation while he spoke, and smiled at Ezra. "Well, this is your lucky day."

Ezra couldn't let that go, as he raised his head and offered the best ironic smile he could muster. "You have a very disturbing understanding of that concept."

"Just making sure you were paying attention. Those wires are part of what is holding the device in place. None of them are triggers. All we need to do is cut them away, then we can get you out of here."

"No. He warned that moving would set things off. How can you be certain?"

"Knowing those details is why the pay me the big bucks Agent Standish."

"Under the circumstances, I believe a less formal manner of address would be acceptable, don't you?"

Barrington lowered himself to a position he could get a better look at the chair, not losing the smile. "You call me Ken, I'll switch to Ezra. Deal? Now, I want you to keep sitting as still as you can while we finalize the details here. Just a few more minutes Ezra. OK?"

He got a small nod in response, and stood slowly, making his way back to the door. Chris saw the look the man had been hiding from Ezra, and signalled him to be quiet before anything was said. He lead him several yards down the hall, and whispered.

"Sound carries here. What's wrong?"

"One of the wires looked to be leading under the chair. I got low enough to check it. There is a pressure pad under the seat. We cut that wire to free his hands, or get him to stand up, it will blow."

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _ **tbc**_


	3. Chapter 3

There wasn't an officer from any division of law enforcement who dared to go anywhere near the pacing giant prowling the grounds of the ATF offices. Everyone was supposed to be cleared back to a wide perimeter, and he wasn't even close to being outside the zone. But no one was getting Josiah any further away from the building than he was ready to go.

The others weren't any more compliant, with Buck and Vin each making an effort to re-enter the building a couple of times, only to be rebuffed by the armed guards.

"Don't you think Chris has enough on his mind without getting reports of you two being arrested?" Nathan admonished them after getting frustrated by the futility of it all. "Back off and stay out of everyone's way unless you've got an actual idea."

"Well excuse us for being worried." Buck snapped back.

"What, you think I'm not. You think I wouldn't rather be in there trying to keep Ezra settled. God, the way he must be feeling at this point, the pain, the fear. You think I don't want to do something about it?"

Buck didn't ease off on his glare. "You ain't acting like it."

JD's voice broke through the tension. "You two want to hold off on your pissing contest long enough to come and look at something here. I promise, I'll let you both go back to being jackasses in just a minute."

Anger still simmering, the men all moved over to gather around the laptop JD had set up on the trunk of a car. The two combatants stood at opposite sides of the vehicle. JD cast them each a moderately disgusted look before getting down to business.

"I've found the deleted security footage. Took me a while to track it back, but there is a guy wheeling one of the smaller dumpster carts down to the utilities area just after midnight."

"Shit – that means Ezra's been tied up like that for close to 14 hours?" Buck looked over to Nathan, the argument of just seconds ago forgotten. "How long can he hold on to something like that?"

Nathan was shaking his head, every bit as stunned as the rest of them. "I don't know. I wouldn't have thought this long. If I had to guess, I'd bet he's locked up by now. He's probably so cramped up that releasing it would be harder than holding on. But his body is going to give out, whether he wants it to or not. No food, no sleep, the stress. It's draining his ability to think clearly, to control himself. I wouldn't – couldn't – guess when he's gonna just fold."

Vin was looking at the tape, running in a loop on the screen. "Can't see the guy's face. He wasn't taking any chances, even with the plan to delete all of this."

"I've let the PD know the general build for this guy." JD said.

"From all we can make out, there are probably a couple hundred guys within two blocks of here that match up with him. Besides, I doubt he's still around." Buck added.

Vin shook his head, disagreeing, as he scanned the area. "No, he's around. Like I said before, I think he had a reason for doing this. Could be that he is just one sick bastard who gets off on torturing people, but I'd bet he had another agenda in all of this."

"Like what?" Josiah had approached from behind, hoping they were sharing good news. He was looking exhausted, and Nathan was tempted to tell him to go lie down, but knew he'd just be wasting his breath.

"Not sure. I've been trying to figure out why someone would pull a stunt like this. Doesn't make sense."

"Lunatics don't have to make sense." Buck countered.

Josiah tried to focus on the job, rather than on his fears. "You're sticking with the assumption it isn't part of the Freedom Patriots movement?"

"They'd be making more demands. One message claiming responsibility with no substantiation doesn't confirm anything. And does it make sense to any of you that they'd be threatening to blow up the same building that is currently storing all the same stuff they claim to want back? If they had Ezra, they would have just held on to him for ransom."

Despite the tension of the moment, Josiah couldn't hold back a small smile. "Nice bit of profiling Vin. You looking to take over my job?"

"No thanks. Don't enjoy trying to get into the heads of psychos."

JD brought them back to the issue. "If not them – who? And why?"

Buck was staring back at the building. "First thing we need to figure is what has all this accomplished. They ain't getting weapons or money back, and if you're right, that's not what this is about. All this has done is disrupt the routine and get everyone evacuated from the offices."

"Not just the offices." Nathan caught on to what he was saying. "The building, all of it, is emptied out, with no security in place. Think about it. Mass evacuation opens every locked door so that nobody gets trapped."

"Including all those guns as well as a ton of evidence from the lockers. So, it was the Patriots." JD concluded.

"Won't likely know that until we see what they are going after. JD, can you reactivate the link to the live security cameras without risking setting off any triggers?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Rather not try until we hear back from the bomb expert whose down there with Chris."

"What expert? Squad leader said they weren't ready to send anyone in there yet."

JD shook his head. "Captain Barrington went in just after Chris kicked me out of there. Said he was doing the evaluation."

The men looked at each other, none of them happy with this revelation. Josiah began a rapid walk to the location the bomb techs had set up, but Vin was already jogging past him. "Who did you send in to talk to Larabee?" he called out has he approached. The spokesman for the group stepped forward to meet him.

"We haven't sent anyone down. Still assessing the photos and information your man Dunne sent to us."

JD had caught up to the others. "Captain Barrington went down there about 30 minutes ago."

"We don't have a Barrington on the squad."

Vin turned to make a run for the building before he was grabbed by Josiah.

"Hold up. He's not going to trigger anything while he is in there, unless we make sure he's got nothing to lose."

"I sure as hell don't intend to let him walk outta there."

"I would prefer we didn't leave him able to walk period, but we have to look at the big picture here. We have one goal to focus on Vin, and until our guys are clear of all of this, we play by his rules."

The other men had gathered as well and were reluctantly agreeing. "We'll get eyes on all the exits. Only three people should be in there right now. All we have to do is follow this guy leaving and pick him up when it's safe." Nathan laid out the obvious course of action.

JD had already brought up the sketch artist program on his laptop. "I'll put together a mash-up for this guy, since we still don't have a shot of his face. We can try to run ID on him, see if that helps at all."

Josiah was still holding onto Vin, who in turn, was still tugging gently to be released. "I'll play nice Josiah. You can let me go."

"We all want to be in there."

"I don't. I want them out here. And I want that bastard at the business end of my gun." Vin was not usually the one to be quick to anger, but the men seemed to be taking turns at losing their cool, and having the others settle them back.

"We'll get there." Buck promised him. "But you don't get to kill him. If anyone does, Ezra gets first crack at him."

"We can't just stand out here and wait. If he gets anxious, he could just kill them both in there." JD felt bad that he had been the one to send Barrington in to begin with.

"I don't imagine anyone would think it was out of character for me to go in to see how they're doing. That way at least someone in the room would know the truth." Josiah suggested.

Nathan didn't see that happening. "Bomb squad will stop you."

"They might try."

"And you won't hold your temper. You'll see Ezra tied up, and that son of a bitch standing near by, and all bets are off."

Discussion stopped when a uniformed officer stepped closer. "We think we have a handle on this. We're about two minutes from sending a couple of technicians in. I know you guys want to do something but leave it to us."

"You better have all the details first." Vin sighed deeply, then began to fill them in.

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

Chris watched Barrington head down the hall before he turned to head back to stay with Ezra. Something wasn't right here, but he was damned if he could put his finger on it. He stood quietly, watching the quiet struggle play out in front of him. He could see the strain in every fibre of the bound man's body. And even though the head was dropped by fatigue, hiding the face, Chris could picture the determination he knew was present. It didn't seem all that long ago he would have long since abandoned hope on this. The Ezra Standish who had come to them from FBI was as close to a broken man as he'd seen. What had kept him going that long was a mystery. Chris liked to think that what turned him around was the influence of the men who made up the best team in any agency. He had long hoped that was what Ezra felt as well and watching the battle for survival that was being waged now, he had his proof that was true.

He slowly moved forward, speaking softly. "Not much longer Ezra. Barrington will be back with someone to diffuse all of this for you, and then you get to sleep for – what – about a week sound good?"

"His shoes were wrong." Ezra muttered softly. "I have never seen a police detective wearing Ferragamo shoes at $2600 a pair. Certainly not when they stand a very good chance of being blown off his feet."

Chris stopped moving. "You sure? Never mind. Of course you are." That explained a lot, like how he figured out the damned lasers so quickly. Chris was so anxious for a solution he had been willing to overlook the details. He tried to picture the man and couldn't see the shoes. What he did bring to mind was how he looked, squatted down beside his agent. How could he have seen what was under the chair from that angle? He wasn't low enough. He couldn't know. Unless…

"Ezra, you stay still. I'm gonna get down on the floor. Right down."

"Something is wrong?"

"Well yeah. You're tied to a chair holding onto a bomb. What do you think?"

"His voice. The pattern of speech. It matches the man who placed me – us – into this predicament. I assumed I was confusing things. I am not thinking clearly. Not at my best."

"Calm down Ezra. This may be just a misunderstanding."

Ezra let loose a sound that was meant to be a laugh but sounded far more like a desperate sob. "He was right here. The bastard was right here."

"Don't you dare go on me now. Stay still. This is almost over."

"How? He's not sending anyone down. If anything, I would wager he is preparing to detonate this. Please Chris. Just go."

Chris was on his back, looking up at the seat. There was nothing he could see underneath, and no wires that led anywhere. It was possible Ezra was actually sitting on something, but that seemed unlikely. This was another bluff. Giving Barrington, or whatever his name really was, time to get what he came for, or to give him a chance to privately gloat about the chaos he had caused. Either way, Chris didn't dispute the idea that time had run out for any more planning. To use one of Buck's favorite idioms, it was time to shit or get off the pot.

"Give me another 30 seconds Ezra, then we are both getting out of here."

He was too tired to fight, too tired to argue. He knew he should. Knew that whatever insanity was being planned, it was going to get them both killed. He just couldn't bring himself to react any longer. Chris was back at his side far too quickly and was reaching behind him. Ezra felt a slight tug, gasping in shock and pain as his arms moved freely, the first wire gone. He felt Chris's hand covering his own, and again couldn't hide the pain.

"What are you doing?"

"Told you, we are getting out of here. I know you are damn near frozen in place, but I'm gonna help you move. It's just a few steps to the door. We get there, get through it and toss this thing back in. I'll slam the door, and we hit the ground."

"Hitting the ground should be simple enough, but the rest of your plan is impossible. I can't do it Chris. I can't even feel my legs. Standing seems like a distant dream, and walking is out of the question."

"Then I'll drag you if I have to, but we are getting the hell out of this room, now."

Ezra could feel more of the bindings that had been holding him upright fall away. "Why throw it back in? If I can be freed, we can take it out for the squad."

The suggestion had already been eliminated in Chris's mind. "Don't know how stable it is. If it drops, we could be somewhere with no place to hide. These are foundations around us - concrete walls and floors. The should absorb most of the blast. I'm gambling on the odds these boxes are just more shit to keep us off our game."

"You do know I abhor gambling Chris."

He grinned at the expert card player. "I know Ezra." He didn't want to add that, while he hadn't seen any other wires on the chair, he had seen a watch wired to the device. It could be a timer, or it could have just been another attempt to muddy the waters. Ezra didn't need to know that bit of the puzzle. It didn't really matter. He wasn't going to wait to find out. "On the count of three, we move. One, two –"

"Wait."

"There's no other way Ezra."

"There is, but you won't consider it. I just wanted -", he paused, emotion and events overwhelming him. His gift of eloquence left him, and he was at a loss to say everything that was racing through his mind. "Thank you." It was far to simple, but it was the only thing that was appropriate.

Chris grinned. "Well, I won't say it has **always** been my pleasure – but it sure has kept my life interesting. OK then. One, two, three…"

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 ** _tbc_**


	4. Chapter 4

Every exit was being watched, but no doors had opened. There was no sign of any activity coming from inside. Outside was a different story, and the bomb technicians made ready to mount their response.

"This is not up for debate. None of you are coming in with us. It's hard enough under ideal circumstances, and I will not put my men at risk by letting any of you get in the way."

"Ain't gonna get in the way." Buck replied, pleading their case again. Someone is going to have to keep Ezra distracted, and help him get out of there when you're done."

"We will keep him occupied, and you can send in as many people as you want when this –"

It wasn't a loud explosion, but it was enough to galvanize everyone.

"Shit!" Buck and Josiah were running first, but both JD and Vin passed them quickly. Nathan was in the distance, but only because he detoured to grab a medical kit. The guards at the doors stepped aside rather than risk being mowed down the by steamrollers charging at them. Vin almost pulled the staircase door from the hinges before charging down the stairs, jumping over far more of them than he touched. It wasn't long until he ran into a cloud of smoke and dust rising through the chimney like funnel created in the narrow passage. He pulled at the half- opened basement door, knocked slightly askew by the pressure of the blast.

Vin stared down the hall, looking for anything promising in the settling swirl of particles in front of him. He rubbed at his eyes, holding his sleeve over his face to filter the air. "Chris! Ezra! Somebody answer me." He moved forward kicking aside small pieces of debris that looked to be mostly ceiling tiles and cardboard along the way. "Chris? Ezra?" his voice was more anxious with each shout. "Where the hell are you?"

He stopped moving and was slammed from behind by JD. "Hold up. I hear something." Everyone stopped moving. Stopped breathing.

"Vin. Here. Over here." They all ran forward toward Chris's raspy voice.

"Easy cowboy. Don't try to move."

"Don't call me cowboy Wilmington." The reply was almost a conditioned response, but it allowed them all an instant of relief until he started coughing again. Nathan moved into place and started checking him.

"I'm fine. It's just the damned dust. And my knee." He acknowledged when he made another effort to stand. "Look for Ezra. I can't see him, and he hasn't answered me."

"Where was he?" Vin was afraid of the answer.

"Not still in the chair. He wasn't holding the grenade." They were all looking and calling as Chris spoke. Flashlights from their phones were highlighting all of the particles in the air that danced from the air currents they were creating. "We got him free and started to move. The damned fool pushed me forward. I honestly don't know if it was on purpose or not but I wasn't expecting it, and he was half falling over. The momentum got me through the door."

"Ezra? Where the hell are you son?"

"Chris?" Vin voice shook slightly. "You sure he wasn't still holding it?"

"I took if from his hand. Tossed it to the corner behind the boxes and we dove for the door. I was pulling him but he fell, and in the process shoved at me to be first out. Damned fool probably did it on purpose. Likely took every bit of strength he had left. Not sure if he had enough left to get clear of the room. The door was supposed to protect us." His explanation was broken as he was coughing throughout. Nathan put a stop to it.

"Shut up till we can get your throat cleared out. You're gonna wreck your voice."

"Damn – Buck, over here. Help me lift this." JD was frantic. He had heard Chris and immediately began looking for the door. It was propped at a low angle against the wall, and his light was now focused on a shoe sticking out from behind it.

Buck flung the door aside and swore loudly. He knelt beside the dust streaked unconscious form and tentatively reached out. The weak thread of a pulse was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. "He's alive." He gasped it out in a rush of expelled air. "He's alive."

Nathan abandoned Chris, warning him to stay put, and crawled rapidly to Ezra's side. He could hear what he assumed were rescue teams in the distance making their way down the stairs. Turning to JD, he began issuing orders. "Tell them we'll need two stretchers. Ezra needs oxygen first, but Chris should have some too. We need a backboard and collar for Ez, and have the hospital get an OR ready. Don't know if he needs it, but they should be ready for him." JD was on the move without asking any questions, even though he had a million or so. The only one he really wanted the answer to – would Ezra be OK – was one no one could answer yet.

When the medics tried to move Chris, they found themselves on the receiving end of a string of profanity and the coldest stare imaginable. "I'm fine – take care of him."

"You're not fine Chris." Buck answered. "And getting you out of the way will make it easier to work on Ezra, so lie back, shut up, and do what your told."

To everyone's surprise, he complied. But not without mumbling a few unflattering comments about Buck's origins. The 'Love you too cowboy.' response only angered him more.

Josiah was kneeling at Ezra's head, speaking in a voice so quiet none of the others were sure exactly what was being said, although they had a pretty good idea of the tone of the conversation. It took only a few minutes to get him ready to leave and the parade out was an urgent, but cautious procession. The medics didn't even pause when they got out, loading him directly into the ambulance. Nathan climbed in after to ride along, and simply ignored any suggestions to the contrary. Chris was already being transported.

The men watched, unmoving until it was out of sight. Buck was the first to realize Travis had joined them.

"There's no sign of anyone else in the building, but given the pandemonium of the last 10 minutes, a herd of elephants could have moved through with no one noticing."

"So this bastard is gone?" Buck growled. It was clear he needed an outlet for the rage and frustration of the day. JD stepped forward to make sure he didn't make Travis the target.

"We'll find him Buck. We have descriptions, photos. Probably fingerprints too." He turned back to Travis. "We know what he took?"

"Not yet. You guys go be where you're needed. You aren't gonna be much use here the way your heads are right now. I'll come by later with an update."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

"You do understand when a doctor tells you that you need bedrest, you are supposed to be getting it in a bed." For not the first time since joining the ATF, Nathan questioned his career decision. Chris Larabee was awkwardly wheeling himself down the hallway towards the bank of elevators. He was, thanks to far too much experience in his life, fairly familiar with the techniques required to propel his current mode of transit, but having a wrist in a support brace was making it a little more difficult than usual.

"Said I needed to rest my leg. My leg is resting nicely. Now, are you going to steer this thing for me, or would you prefer I run someone over first?"

Nathan looked down the hall at a patient using a walker being accompanied by his equally fragile spouse and let his humanitarian instincts win out, stepping behind the chair. "He's not awake yet Chris. He won't know you're there."

"The others are there, that's were I need to be."

"This isn't your fault. You do get that."

When there was no answer Nathan stopped their advance. "I mean it Chris. You got him out alive. Both of you got out alive."

"Barely."

"Better than not at all." They started moving again, and soon were off the elevator and nearing Ezra's room. The lack of conversation told Chris that there had been no improvement in his agent's condition. He'd only been told about the injuries, but had not yet had a chance to see with his own eyes that the nightmare really was over. As he looked at the bed, he had his doubts.

Ezra looked small lying there so quiet and still. Pale enough that he seemed to almost blend into the sheets, except for where bruising mottled the side of his face. Both wrists were bandaged from where the ropes and wires had rubbed the skin away. The canula that was feeding him oxygen was only one of several tubes supplying him what he need to recover.

"Hey Ezra, check it out. Chris is here." JD forced cheerfulness would never have fooled the gambler. "Told you he was ok."

The chair was brought as close to the bed as was possible, with Buck pulling his own seat away.

"You best wake up soon Standish. You have a lot to answer for, pushing me out of the room like that. Could have you up on charges for assaulting your superior." They could all imagine Ezra's response to such a ridiculous threat, and it made it that much more difficult to not hear anything.

Chris never took his eyes from the bed as he spoke to Nathan. "I thought you said he was alright."

"I said he will be, but he was messed up. Dislocated shoulder, concussion, wrenched back, fractured cheekbone. Bruised kidney, some cracked ribs. Then there is the damage and stress from sitting in the chair with that damned –", he paused, toning down the anger that churned every time he thought about it. "Tied to that chair. Nerve and muscle strain, and the complete exhaustion."

"Have there been any signs of waking up?" Chris asked softly.

Vin answered this one. "Restless at times. Think he might be dreaming from the way he clenches his hands and then – reacts." There had been nightmares, or whatever the hell those were called when someone was unconscious, off and on during the night. Vin couldn't bring himself to describe the terror that came to Ezra's face, or the whimpered cries accompanying the experience. He hoped it would all be over when Ezra woke up, but he had his doubts.

A soft moan came from the bed now. They all went silent, moving a bit closer.

"Ezra? Son? Can you hear me? It's ok to wake up Ezra. It's over now." He moved on the bed, his face reflecting the discomfort, but didn't wake up.

"Aren't they giving him something for the pain?"

"Relaxants mostly. Like I said Chris, a concussion, so they have to be careful."

Chris rubbed his good hand over his sore wrist without even being conscious of the act. "When I find this Barrington bastard, I'm gonna take him apart one piece at a time. I can't believe we let him get away."

"Not Barrington. And nobody let anything happen Larabee. It just did." Judge Travis took a few steps into the room but held back from intruding on the close circle around the bed. That sanctum was not meant for him.

"Don't care. I want him. Actually, just his head. On a platter." The thought of what Ezra, what all of them to a lesser degree, had been through made Chris abandon any pretense of civility.

"Not Barrington? We have an ID?"

"Actually, several Josiah. FBI, DEA, Interpol and a few other groups who shall not be named all have an interest in this guy, and mostly under different names. Hires himself out as a kind of Jack of All Trades. Killer, retrieval specialist, interrogator. Whatever is needed. He gets into places no one should be able to, and escapes as easily. No decent photos and up until now, not much of a description."

"And he'll likely change his appearance now." Buck added angrily.

"Aren't there any leads?" Vin asked.

"Homeland is on watch at the airports, and his picture is on every list out there. But, like Wilmington said, odds are he doesn't look like that now." Travis shook his head. "Fact is, he's gone to ground for the moment."

JD knew what was being left unsaid. "And he's a chameleon, so when he does show up again, we probably won't see him. Do we know what he was after?"

"Evidence locker was broken into. So far, it looks like there have been items either taken, destroyed or ruined for at least nine cases, probably more. All of them are high profile enough for someone to higher a guy like this to take care of business."

"Meaning that figuring out which one was the real target was, and by extension, who hired him, is going to be damned near impossible." Buck griped.

"Doesn't mean we won't do it." Josiah sounded determined. "Just means it will take some time."

"And is that a substance we once again have in abundance?" His eyes were still closed, and the voice rough, but the words were clearly Ezra at his finest.

"Hey there Pard. Welcome back."

"Good to hear that fancy talk again." Buck added.

Ezra's voice shook when he spoke again, with a hint of panic underlying it. "Is there a reason I have not heard from Chris in this discussion."

"You know how hard it is to get a word in when these guys start talking Ezra." He answered, his own relief evident.

A soft sigh of relief came from the bed. "You were uninjured?"

"Nothing critical. Be out of here long before you are."

That inspired another sweep of panic across his face, before Nathan spoke up. "You're fine Ezra. Lots of aches and pains, and a few breaks to heal up. They want to monitor you for a few days is all."

"Sorry Ezra. Didn't mean to set you off." Chris winced as he heard that comment as well. Maybe it was time to just shut up.

Travis cleared his throat. "Good to have you back Standish. I'll leave you gentlemen for now." He took a few steps away before turning back. "You might as well take tomorrow off as well. The office will be closed until the structural engineers give everything the all clear."

"That blast was that bad?" Chris asked. He really hadn't bothered to notice what damage was done.

"No, not really. Controlled and smaller than anticipated. Still, there are protocols. I'll keep you informed. Take it easy men."

Ezra actually offered up a small smile. "I would, if asked, dispute the use of the word small in describing the incident." When no one responded, he forced himself to finally open his eyes. The six were staring back at him.

"Did I say something inappropriate?"

"Incident?" JD challenged. "That's what you are calling this?"

He tried to shrug, but found his muscles were not willing to cooperate with that action. "You have a better term?"

"Dozens of them." Vin answered.

"All of which you can discuss with him in a couple of days." Nathan intervened. "Right now, he needs his rest. So does Chris. Hell, all of us could probably do with some down time for at least a few hours."

"When you are feeling better Ezra, you and me are going to have a little chat about that stunt you pulled. What were you thinking, pushing me like that."

"Would you have done any different, if the situation was reversed?"

Chris grinned at the reference and had to acknowledge the truth. "In a heartbeat." he quoted back.

"Liar." Ezra closed his eyes again.

"We are still going to talk Ezra." Chris said softly before spinning his chair to leave.

"No doubt. That is what keeps **MY** life interesting." Ezra mumbled as he fell asleep.

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _To the 3 of you who suggested I might want to reconsider how the first version ended, let me warn you I did, for just a moment, think about killing my boy, just to let you know how testy I can get when asked to change an ending._ :-) _Then I decided I had too much fun writing this, so Ezra survived the tale. (Just kidding – always appreciate any input and comments, and most suggestions.)_

 _And yes, before you ask, I imagine our mysterious 'Mr. Barrington' may make another appearance at some point. But as this is my second kick at this story, I think I am going to move on to other works in progress._


End file.
